Deletion of medical images in cloud-based storage

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling deletion of medical images in a universal viewer system that shares the medical images between a cloud server and a plurality of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server. The method is executed by the cloud sever and includes: receiving a deletion request for a medical image, the deletion request comprises a user ID associated with a first user; determining an authority level of the first user based on the user ID; deleting, in response to determining that the authority level of the first user matches or is higher than a specified authority level, the medical image associated with the deletion request; storing in a memory a result of the deletion request; and causing the result of the deletion request to be displayed on a display of at least one of the healthcare facilities.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling deletion of medical images in a universal viewer system that shares the medical images between a cloud server and a plurality of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the cloud server, a deletion request for a medical image, wherein the deletion request comprises a user ID associated with a first user;   determining, by the cloud server, an authority level of the first user based on the user ID;   deleting, by the cloud server in response to determining that the authority level of the first user matches or is higher than a specified authority level, the medical image associated with the deletion request;   storing in a memory, by the cloud server, a result of the deletion request; and   causing, by the cloud server, the result of the deletion request to be displayed on a display of at least one of the healthcare facilities.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 terminating, by the cloud server in response to determining that the authority level of the first user is lower than the specified authority level, the deletion request without deleting the medical image;   storing in the memory, by the cloud server, the result of the deletion request; and   causing, by the cloud server, the result of the deletion request to be displayed on the display.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the deleting of the medical image is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed,   a length of the predetermined time is determined based on the authority level of the first user, and   only a portion of data associated with the medical image is deleted.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the cloud server and before the predetermined time has elapsed, a request to undo the deletion request from any of the first user, a second user, or a third user;   terminating, by the cloud server, the deletion request without deleting the medical image, wherein   the authority level of the second user is lower than the authority level of the first user, and   the authority level of the third user is higher than the authority level of the first user.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the predetermined time for the second user is longer than the predetermined time for the first user and the third user, and   the predetermined time for the first user is longer than the predetermined time for the third user.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the medical image is temporarily deleted before the predetermined time has elapsed, and   the medical image is restored when the deletion request is terminated.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein an authority list that comprises the authority level of the first user, the second user, and the third user is stored in a memory of the cloud server. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the request to undo the deletion is executed independent of the authority level. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the universal viewer system is part of a cloud-based Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) storing instructions that causes a cloud server to perform an operation for controlling deletion of medical images in a universal viewer system that shares the medical images between the cloud server and a plurality of healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, the operation comprising causing the cloud server to:
 receive a deletion request for a medical image, wherein the deletion request comprises a user ID associated with a first user;   determine an authority level of the first user based on the user ID;   delete, in response to determining that the authority level of the first user matches or is higher than a specified authority level, the medical image associated with the deletion request;   store, in a memory, a result of the deletion request; and   cause the result of the deletion request to be displayed on a display of at least one of the healthcare facilities.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory CRM according to  claim 10 , the operation further comprising causing the cloud server to:
 terminate, in response to determining that the authority level of the first user is lower than the specified authority level, the deletion request without deleting the medical image;   store, in the memory, the result of the deletion request; and   cause the result of the deletion request to be displayed on the display.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory CRM according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the deleting of the medical image is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed,   a length of the predetermined time is determined based on the authority level of the first user, and   only a portion of data associated with the medical image is deleted.   
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory CRM according to  claim 12 , the operation further comprising causing the cloud server to:
 receive, before the predetermined time has elapsed, a request to undo the deletion request from any of the first user, a second user, or a third user;   terminate the deletion request without deleting the medical image, wherein   the authority level of the second user is lower than the authority level of the first user, and   the authority level of the third user is higher than the authority level of the first user.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory CRM according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the predetermined time for the second user is longer than the predetermined time for the first user and the third user, and   the predetermined time for the first user is longer than the predetermined time for the third user.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory CRM according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the medical image is temporarily deleted before the predetermined time has elapsed, and   the medical image is restored when the deletion request is terminated.   
     
     
         16 . A universal viewer system that controls deletion of medical images, the universal viewer system comprising:
 a cloud server; and   a plurality of local computers disposed at healthcare facilities connected to the cloud server, wherein   the universal viewer system shares the medical images between the cloud server and the local computers, and   the cloud server:
 receives a deletion request for a medical image, wherein the deletion request comprises a user ID associated with a first user; 
 determines an authority level of the first user based on the user ID; 
 deletes, in response to determining that the authority level of the first user matches or is higher than a specified authority level, the medical image associated with the deletion request; 
 stores, in a memory, a result of the deletion request; and 
 causes the result of the deletion request to be displayed on a display of at least one of the healthcare facilities. 
   
     
     
         17 . The universal viewer system according to  claim 16 , wherein the cloud server further:
 terminates, in response to determining that the authority level of the first user is lower than the specified authority level, the deletion request without deleting the medical image;   stores, in the memory, the result of the deletion request; and   causes the result of the deletion request to be displayed on the display.   
     
     
         18 . The universal viewer system according to  claim 16 , wherein:
 the deleting of the medical image is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed,   a length of the predetermined time is determined based on the authority level of the first user, and   only a portion of data associated with the medical image is deleted.   
     
     
         19 . The universal viewer system according to  claim 18 , wherein the cloud server further:
 receive, before the predetermined time has elapsed, a request to undo the deletion request from any of the first user, a second user, or a third user;   terminate the deletion request without deleting the medical image, wherein   the authority level of the second user is lower than the authority level of the first user, and   the authority level of the third user is higher than the authority level of the first user.   
     
     
         20 . The universal viewer system according to  claim 19 , wherein:
 the predetermined time for the second user is longer than the predetermined time for the first user and the third user,   the predetermined time for the first user is longer than the predetermined time for the third user,   the medical image is temporarily deleted before the predetermined time has elapsed, and   the medical image is restored when the deletion request is terminated.